Self-winding clock.



un. goa'ss.

c. noun. l SELF wmnma CLOCK.

(Application led Dec. 17, 1901.)

. (No Model.)

yPatented sept. 9,1902, C'. HOUR.

SELF WINDINVG CLUCK.

(Appliweio med me. 17, 19011,

(no Mom.) s sheets-snaai FIG:2

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wm/5mm Y /A/z/f/vro P'tented Sept. 9, l|902.

' C. HUUR.

SELF WINDING (L-06K.

(Application 1ed Dec. 17, 1991.)

3 Shets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (Muncie.y

` CHARLES HOUR, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SELF-WINDING CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 708,886, datedSeptember 9, 1902. Application led December 17, 1901. Serial No. 86,235`(No model.)

To all whom, it ina/y concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HOUR, man ufacturer, a citizen of theRepublic of France, residing at 7 Rue St. Anastase, Paris, in theRepublic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatically-Wound-Up Clocks, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a clock which is automatically Wound up by meansof device which works under the sole influence of the variations in thetemperature of the atmosphere. The well-known principle on which theoperation or working of the said device is based is that liquids possessthe property of expanding and contracting under the action of thevariations of temperature, while the said liquids are practicallyinoompressible. However, no practical use of this principle has everbeen madeV heretofore to actuate clocks, by reason of the materialdifiiculties to be got over in order to convert the very slight changein the volume of the expansible liquid into a sufcient amount ofrotation of the driving-barrel of the clock. The particular arrangementsto be described with reference to the accompanying drawings permit, onthe contrary, of obtaining by means of mechanical parts simple inconstruction and of a practical size the certain operation of eitherasilent or striking clock under the iniiuence of variations oftemperature not exceeding 1 centigrade-for example, from one day toanother-and the said arrangements also permit of preventing much greatervariations in temperature than that of 1 from producing an accumulationof energy which might endanger the resistance of the clock.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation of one form of my novel clock,part of the recipient containing the alcohol being shown' in section.Fig-2 is a vertical section through the center of Fig. l and showingdiagrammatically in elevation the clockwork, the plane of the sectionbeing indicated by the dotted line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectionthrough an ordinary spring-barrel and an auxiliary barrel. Fig. 3a is atransverse scc-` tion on the line 3 3 of Fig. 3. Fig. 4.is an elevationof the ratchet-wheels which connect the arbor of the auxiliary barrelwith the arbor of an ordinary spring-barrel. Fig. 5 is a section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 3. and 7 are central sections through extensible tubes.f i j The clock comprises a recipient for alcohol composed of a rigidpart and an extensible part. The rigid partcomprises two hollow pillars1, hermetically closed and fixed to frame 4. The extensible part isformed by two tubes 5, the wall of which presents very deep and veryclose corrugations, so that the tubes can expand to a notable extentwithout going beyond the limit of the elasticity of the metal of whichthey are made. Figs. Gand 7 show that the said corrugations may bearranged either in parallel circles, Fig. 7, orin helical coil of verylow pitch, Fig. 6, provided they are deep and close. The lower part oftubes 5, fixed to frame 4, communicates with pillars l through tubes 2.Y The tubes and the pillars are completely filled with alcohol, so thatunder the infiuence of the variations in temperature the upper part oftubes 5 is caused to move up and down as the alcohol expands orcontracts. Fixed vertical rods 8 serve as guides for the tubes 5, on theupper partv of Figs. 6

which is a cross-piece 6, provided with jour- Y nals or trunnions 25. Bymeans of links or pitrnen 24 the said trunnions are connected tobell-crank levers having two arms 21 22 and which are pivoted at 23 tothe frame. To each of the said levers are tlxed two ribbons 2O and 40,the ends of which are Wound around and xed to the rotary axes 15 and 35of two tixed barrels or drums 16 and 36. Spiral springs 17 are fixed'atone vend to the axes or spindles 15 and 35 and at the other end tobarrels 16 and 36, `so that the tension of the said springs is increasedby the said ribbons 2O and 40 when the latter are pulled by the levers2l 22-that is to say, when the alcohol expands and causes thecross-piece 6 to move upward, together with the rods or links 24. Eachbarrel 16 or 36 is ixed by lugs 4l to a plate 42, which ispermanentlyvfxed to the frame of the clock, and on the said plate isremovably fixed, as by nuts 43, a second plate 44, which carries awell-known system of minute and striking wheels, together with theirusual barrels or spring-boxes 9, the latter containing the usual spring9a, as shown by Figs. 3 and 3. The axes or spindles 11 of the saidbarrels terminate, as usual, in square parts 45. The latter projectthrough apertures in the fixed plate 42, and ratchet- Wheels lO aremounted on the said projections between the plate 42 and the fixed drums16 and 36. Pawls 46, mounted on the said plate 42, prevent the Wheels10, and consequently the axes 1l of the barrels 9, from revolvingbackward. Each Wheel carries a pawl l2, which is held bya spring 13against a ratchet-wheel 14, fixed ou axis 15 or 35, so that When thespring of one of the drums 16 or 36 slackens and causes its axis 15 or35 to revolve the said Wheel 14 brings about the rotation of pawl 12,wheel 10, and axis 11. On the contrary, when axis l5 or 35 is revolved,so as to tighten the intermediate spring 17, the wheel14 revolvesWithout causing the wheel 1U to revolve, the latter wheel being,moreover, held by the pawl 46. Ribbons and 40 are Wound on the axes 15and in the same direction as the springs 9a of the barrels 9, andsprings 17 are Wound in an opposite direction to the latter. As theribbons 20 and 40 are free to give Way when they are not tight, it Willbe understood that the intermediate springs -17 might remain tight, evenif the levers 21 move toward each other, should the said springs meetwith great resistance on the part of the axes 11, as might happen whenthe springs of the barrels 9 are completely wound up or when the wheelsare accidentally prevented from revolving. It will also be understoodthat the axes 15 and 35 are completely independent of each other andthat one of the intermediate springs 17 can slacken more slowly or notslacken at all withoutinterfering with the slackeningof the other andthe Winding up of the corresponding barrel 9. In no case, therefore, canthe resistance of the ribbons, springs, and con nected parts beendangered by the stoppage of the minute or striking Wheels, howeverfrequent may be the variations in temperature acting on the system.

The hereinbefore-described construction of the plate 44 in rendering thelatter independent of plate 42 allows of the said plate 44 being easilytaken out, together With all the parts carried by the same, so thatalthough the axis l1 of the barrels come out of the wheels 10 the latterremain held on the plate 42, together with the Wheels 14 and the axes 15and 35, the result being that the Winding position of the intermediatesprings relatively to the position of the levers 2l can be found at oncewhen the clockwork has to be Wound up and that consequently there is nodanger of exceeding the highest tension provided for in the said springsand which corresponds to the highest temperature to which the apparatusis likely to be subjected or exposed.

I will observe that there may be any number of barrels actuatedindependently of each other by the levers 21 22, all that is necessarybeing to use as many pairs of ribbons 2O or l0 as there are intermediatefixed springdrums. There may also be any number o'f corrugated tubes 5,and the latter may be of any suitable length, according to the powerrequired to overcome the friction of the Wheelwork. I may also effectthe Winding up of the clock directly by the dilatation of tube 5 byutilizing, if necessary, any Wellknown means for limiting the tighteningof a spring when Wound up. I may also use my invention for actuatingother mechanismsfor instance, music-boxes, gas-meters, watermeters, andthe like.

l. In a mechanism for rewinding a motor spring, the combination ofreservoir-receptacles, extensible corrugated receptacles incommunication with said reservoir-receptacles, a cross-head actuated bythe extension movement of said extensible receptacles, levers connectedto said cross-head, and springarbors having flexible connections withsaid levers.

2. A mechanism for rewinding a motorspring, comprising areservoir-receptacle having an extensible tube, one end of which isfixed and in communication with said receptacle, bell-crank levers, rodsor pitmen connecting the movable end of said extensible tube with thebell-crank levers, the springarbors each having a spiral spring,flexible ribbons connecting said levers With said arbors and adapted toactnate the arbors on the extension movement of said tubes, and meansactuated by the arbors for Winding a clock-barrel or spring-box on therecoil of said springs.

3. A mechanism for rewinding a motorspring, comprising two springs, eachhaving one of its ends fixed, arbors to which are secured the other endsof said springs, extensible tubes adapted to contain a liquid, leversconnected with said tubes, ribbons connecting said levers With one ofsaid arbors, other ribbons connecting the same levers With the otherarbors, and means for separately actuating the motor-springs by therecoil of the springs on the arbors.

4. A mechanism for rewinding a motorspring, comprising a frame,anextensible tube having one end fixed to said frame, levers pivoted tothe frame and connected operatively with the tube, a barrel orspring-box pivoted to a plate on said frame, an arbor in said barrel, aspiral spring connecting said arbor and the barrel, flexible ribbonsattached to the arbor and the levers, a removable plate attached to thefirst-named plate, a motorspring supported by said removable plate, andratchet-Wheels and pawls on the first-named fixed plate and disposed toa'ctnate the motorspring by the slackening movement of the springs onsaid arbors.

5. An automatically-Wound clock, comprising a receptacle, an extensibletube adapted to receive a liquid dilatable by heat and to lengthen andcontract according to variations of the temperature, an arbor, anintermedi- IIO ate spring having one end attached to the arbor, and itsother end fixed to a suitable device, a exible ribbon, means forconnecting said ribbon to said arbor and to the extensible tube, a clockbarrel-spring, and means connecting the clock barrel-spring with saidarbor and adapted to wind the barrel-spring by the rotation of thearbor, said rotation being produced by the uncoiling'of the inter-lmediate spring; said flexible ribbon adapted to become slack oncontraction ofthe extensible tube, and the intermediate spring adaptedto remain tight after a previous winding, whereby the extensible tubecan subsequently dilate Without coiling the intermediate spring untilthe flexible ribbon shall have been again stretched. 4

6. An automatically-wound clockcompris` ing a receptacle, an extensibletube in communication therewith,an intermediate spring, means forconnecting-said spring With said tube and consisting of a fiexibleribbon, a clock barrel-spring, and ratchet-Wheels conl necting the saidsprings so as to Wind the last spring by the slackening of the firstspring.

7. An automatically-Wound clock comprising a frame, a receptaclethereon, an exten# sible tube in communication with the receptacle, atransmission-shaft, a iexible connection between said tube and saidshaft, a plate secured on the frame, an intermediate spring l attachedto the frame and said shaft, another plate removably` secured to thefirst plate, a clock-movement supported on said removable plate, andratchet-Wheels mounted on they fixed plate and arranged' to connect thetransymission-shaftv with the shaft of `the springbarrel of theclock-movement.

8. In a mechanism for rewinding a motorspring or the like, thecombination of a reservoir, an extensible tube in communicationtherewith, a cross-head controlled by said CHARLES HOUR.

Witnesses:

EUGNE WATTIER, EDWARD P; MACLEAN.

tube, a Work-shaft, and a lever linked to the

